The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-18
How Abram S. Hewitt is Putting New Face
Upon Things in New York.
Old Laws Enforced by Irun-CIad Orders That
Are Instantly 0bsysd.
"reminiscences Of the Besehsr- -TlltoH Trial
Suggested by Attorney Bsach's Death.
The Changes Which Have Come Upon Wal
lacks Theater-Actor-Worsh by
Silly Young Women.
Especial COrrespOndence OF the sentinel.l ]

Especial Correspondence OF the Sentinel.1
New YORK, May 14.-Mayor Hewitt was
not elected on any reform platform. He
makes no pretense of being reformer; on
the contrary, he takes pains to say, when
making his last appointments, that he does
so an partisan grounds; yet he is the only
reformer we have had in the Mayors chair
since l can remember, and have pretty
long memory. He has been in office less
than six months, but he has managed to
put new face on New York, and that,
too, by the simplest of measures. He be-
gan by clearing away thousands of obstruc-
tions, which had grown up by suferance,
rather than right, in the principal streets
of the city. There was time when one
could hardly turn in Broadway without
running up against an apple stand or q
news stand planted directly on the side
walk, and usually at the busiest and most
frequented corners. They have been OBJ
liberated. A little while ago no sight was
more common and disgusting than the
sandwich men" on Broadway. These
were broken down old fellows who were
content for so cents day to walk about
the streets carrying in front and behind,
signs announcing where cheap meals or
secondhand clothes could be had. They
distributed cards and hand bills, which
speedily found their way into the cutters,
and added TO the disgraceful condition of
our dirty streets. The sandwich men"
are gone. Next he prohibited merchants
from sweeping the refuse of their stores
into the public streets, and thus has re-
lieved the streets of one cause of their
habitually filthy condition.
His last effort has been more ambitious,
but equally successful. He has had the
excise law enforced for the first time in
the history of New York City. For three
Sundays past the bar-rooms of the city
have actually been Theoretically sealed.
Police commissioners had made pretense
of doing it before; spasmodic raids were
made, and men were arrested and fined /;
but the effect was simply ridiculous, and
the authorities we're laughed at as insincere
in their efforts. Mayor Hewitt has &C
complished his purpose by single order,
but that was worded in such positive
terms that policemen and beer-sellers and
beer-consumers knew that he meant it to
be obeyed. 1t has been; and New York is
rejoicing in its compulsory assumption of
viitue for one day in the week. 1t is a
positive fact that you can not get beer or
Wine-with your meals outside of your own
house or club. The hotel and restaurant
are trying to make the new
regulation, or the new enforcement
OF the old law, as obnoxious ss possible by
obeying it, and thus arouse antagonism to
it; but, as far as can Judge, New Workers
sciuslly rejoice in the new order of things.
The "blue Sundays" thus far, have been
very bright ones for New York, and shall
not be surprised IL New Workers not only
applaud Mayor Hewitts order, but insist
that it be continued in force. 1t is bad
thing, uDquestionably, for the fellows who
make business of manufacturing drunk
ards, but it is a good thing for the drunk
ards themselves. If there is any class who
need to rest from their labors. at least one
day in the week, it is the drunkards.
Somebody recently quoted the late WiIl-
Jam A. Beach, who was the senior counsel
of Theodore Tilton in his suit again st
Henry Ward Beecher, as admitting that he
was convinced of Beecher's innocence, and
adding that he felt that he and the other
lawyers were lot of hounds pursuing a
noble animal. Judge Fullerton, one of his
associates, has denied this in toto, and
Roger A. Pryor is now reported to have
said that while Mr.. Beach may have said
something kind of Mr.. Beecher, expressed
his admiration for his great qualities, or
something of that sort" he could not
have said he believed him innocent. 1
very much doubt if Mr.. Beach
which pictured himself, Pryor, Fullerton
and Morris as pack of hounds, even if he
had felt it, because Beach was a very re-
served and proud man. Not only Beach,
but Fullerton, too, had his admiration for
Mr.. Beecher aroused during the trial.
Beach expressed it to me one day in Samuel
d. Morris's Office, and during his cross-ex-
animation of Beecher, Fullerton was once
heard to say, soto voce, "Well, be is
a great man, isn't hep? l think the re-
mark was addressed to Morris. AT any
rate, it was to the associate counsel who sat
next to me, and | overheard what was evil
IDENTIFY genuine expression of admiration
of Mr.. Beecher's ability under the magnif.
cent and adroit cross-examinatioH 10 which
Fullerton submitted him. But whether or
not Mr.. Beach ever became satisfied of
Beecher's innocence, / had it from his own
lips that very early in the trial his doubts
of Beecher's guilt were aroused. Shortly
after the conclusion of the trial had occa-
sion to see Mr.. Beach relative to a suit in
which he was retained, begun by McHenry,
the English speculator in Erie, against
Hugh ]. Jewett, then president of the
Erie. After our conversation on this
subject be asked me to explain a
remark l had made in his pres
ence, in which / quoted one of
his associates as having said that he could
send Moulton (tbe principal witness for
Tilton) to States prison. / explained, as
far as I could. how l had heard that re-
mark, and how / came to repeat it in his
hearing. "That troubled me good deal, I"
he said, "during the whole trial; but the
evidence that Moulton and TIlton had got
5000 from Beecher staggered me much
more" "And what did you finally con-
clude about the whole case2" asked. BE
made no reply. "Black-mail, wasn't it p
/ ventured. He paused so long that did
not think he intended to reply, and arose
to go. "It is all over now" he said, sud
denly, "and it will never be revived. 1t
was remarkable case in every respect,
and would have killed any other man in
Beecher's place. Very great soul, young
man; very great man" and he walked to
the door, where we shook hands and
parted. He was even tbsn an invalid. and
] do not think he was ever afterward q
we'll man. / dc not think that any one OF
Tilton's counsel would admit Beecher' &
innocence, or assent to the idea that the
suit was pure and simple, but adroitl
hlacbvnai1 varv rnuch dauhk h0wever